1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an apparatus and method for selectively applying a sequin-like decoration to material during an embroidery operation and specifically relates to apparatus and a method for applying dish-shaped sequins to material during an embroidery operation.
2. Background Information
Details of the well-known shuttle embroidery machine are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,546, which is commonly assigned and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,546 is an attachment corresponding to each needle of the embroidery machine that attaches sequins to garments during the embroidery operation. Sequins are circular shiny discs that increase the appeal and attractiveness of the garment. The device of the patent includes an attachment to the machine corresponding to each needle which allows the flat dish-shaped sequins to be attached to the material without flaking and deforming the sequins.
In commonly assigned co-pending patent application Ser. No. 07/881,466 filed May 11, 1992 and entitled "Application and Method for Forming a Ribbon of Continuously Connected Dish-Shaped Sequins" (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,664), there is disclosed an apparatus and method for forming continuously connected dish-shaped sequins in a strip. This novel strip of continuously connected dish-shaped sequins enables a new use for the well-known shuttle embroidery machine in the form of a process for attaching dish-shaped sequins to a fabric. As disclosed in the co-pending patent application, a guide device receives a corresponding one of the spaced strips of dish-shaped sequins at its input. The guide device sequentially exposes each individual dish-shaped sequin at the output where it is cut from the strip of sequins and automatically attached to the fabric.
The present invention discloses a novel improved sequin guide attachment for use with the method in the commonly assigned co-pending application to not only sequentially feed the dish-shaped sequins through the guide and enable them to be individually severed from the strip at the output of the guide but also to provide an improved apparatus for severing each individual dish-shaped sequin from the strip. The present invention utilizes a rotary coin feed wheel for indexing a strip of dish-shaped sequins through a feed member such that each dish-shaped sequin is sequentially cut from the strip. The feed shaft is inserted through the axis of the rotating coin feed wheel for incrementally and rotatably positioning the wheel such that each dish-shaped sequin exits the feed member sequentially. A longitudinal bar mounted on the embroidery machine moveably receives the feed wheel such that the feed wheel and attachment are longitudinally adjustable with respect to the machine so that the guide attachments may be positioned with respect to the needles. A cutting device is pivotally attached to the lower end of the feed member such that as each dish-shaped sequin sequentially exits from the feed member it may be severed by the cutting device during movement of the needle bar to form an embroidery stitch and attach the severed sequin to the fabric.
The feed member includes a frame with a vertical chute such that the strip of dish-shaped sequins is positioned by the chute to enable each dish-shaped sequin to be severed at the bottom of the chute as the dish-shaped sequin exists from the chute. A restraining device is positioned in the chute for flexibly guiding the strip of dish-shaped sequins on the rotary coin feed wheel into and down the chute. The restraining device may have one of several configurations such as a flat strip of spring steel as described herein. The dish-shaped body is carried between the rotary wheel and the spaced flat strip of spring steel down the chute. A plate is flexibly secured to the frame by projections on one side of the plate and has a body portion positioned in the chute over the restraining device with sufficient space to allow the dish-shaped sequins to move down the chute between the flexible plate and the restraining guide. An elongated cutting blade is pivotally attached to the lower end of the feed member and forms the cutting surface such that the movement of the needle bar carrying the needle toward the fabric to sew a sequin on the fabric moves a projection that forces the pivotable elongated blade from its normal stationary position into cutting engagement with the sequin that has exited the chute. The projection is slidably attached to the needle bar and a piston is coupled to the projection to move it into alignment with the knife blade when a sequin is to be severed.
A sloping surface is formed on a corner of the pivotally elongated blade such that the sloping surface of the elongated blade engages the sequin as the knife rotates to sever the dish-shaped sequin without applying a twisting force to it. A spring is coupled to the pivotable elongated blade to return the elongated blade to its normal stationary position after severing the sequin. A stop block is attached to the feed member for preventing the elongated blade from going beyond its normal stationary position while being returned by the spring.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved feed member for dish-shaped sequins such that each dish-shaped sequin may be incrementally moved through the feed member and exit the feed member sequentially for removal thereof.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a feed member with a frame having a vertical chute for carrying the dish-shaped sequins and a restraining device positioned in the chute for guiding the dish-shaped sequins, the restraining device comprising a resilient spring steel plate as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,546.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an elongated blade pivotally attached to the lower end of the feed member such that movement of the needle bar carrying the needle towards the fabric to sew a sequin on the fabric moves a projection into contact with the pivotable elongated blade to move it from its normal stationary position into cutting engagement with the dish-shaped sequin that has exited the chute.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a dish-shaped sequin cutting blade that has a sloping surface thereon such that the elongated blade, when pivoted by the sewing needle, engages the dish-shaped sequin to sever the dish-shaped sequin without applying a twisting force to it.